I was silly in my youth; I thought, oh, the Côte d’Azur can’t be that great. Then, a friend wanted to visit Nice. It was great! The whole city lies along the beach! We enjoyed visiting art museums in the mornings, swimming in the afternoons, and watching World Cup Soccer at outdoor cafés in the evenings. We didn’t care about the games, but we did appreciate watching men’s legs on a large screen. At the end of the evening, we would stroll along the Promenade des Anglais. We also took day trips to nearby wonders: Antibes, Cannes, Eze, Grasse, and Monaco. We couldn’t have asked for a better holiday.
But what do mystery writers do in a “perfect” setting? Kill somebody off, of course! Given that so many artists have flocked to the French Riviera (Matisse, Chagall, Renoir, Dufy, Saint Phalle, to name a few), when I wanted to start a new series, I decided to create a protagonist who was a landscape watercolorist, give him a witty, persnickety wife with whom he could argue about possible clues, and set him down in a beautiful spot. Remy and Vero travel to France expecting to spend a lovely summer, one painting, one relaxing, but their plans get ruined almost immediately—alas! That’s the fate of mystery characters.
In the meantime, I spent my time editing Remy’s first outing, The Cézanne Chihuahua, while luxuriating in the French coast of my mind. Using my old pictures, guidebooks, and Google maps, I set the action in and around Nice. I planned on making Remy and Vero’s temporary home the nearby Villefranche, a cute seaside resort twenty minutes away.
When I returned to Nice after a third draft, I dragged my husband up and down streets just west of the tram line between Boulevard Victor Hugo and the Plage Carras. “Look, this could be Frenchie’s apartment building! Look, this is the café where he has a last supper with Remy!” David and I walked the neighborhood, sipped cocktails at nearby cafés, and dined under the stars. We visited art galleries, pretending to be interested in purchasing pieces of art that were too big, too expensive, and often too ugly to seriously consider. While David chatted with trapped gallery attendants, I paid attention to details. What’s selling these days? How do this many art galleries stay in business? Who might be a good murder suspect?
I populated the Nice of my novel with locals and transplants, which reflects the nature of the city itself. The Greeks named it after Nike, the goddess of victory, but its ownership went back and forth between Italy and France a couple of times. It wasn’t annexed to the latter until 1860. By then English tourists were already using the city as a winter retreat. Between carnival, car racing, relaxing public squares, and a mild Mediterranean climate, many find the place irresistible!
Villefranche didn’t meet my expectations, however (too snooty and fancy), so I created my own setting for Remy and Vero’s residence, but I borrowed details from neighboring areas. I gave the town a comfortable promenade right above the beach, a delicious bakery, junk stores (the kind I love to visit), a café where Remy paints and gathers clues, and a pleasant house I wouldn’t mind owning myself.
In the novel, Frenchie asks Remy to paint his Chihuahua in the style of his favorite artist, Cézanne. Naturally, Remy agrees, but when Frenchie is found murdered, the artist is the first suspect. He clears his name, but unfortunately, another family member looks even guiltier! He has no choice but to help the inexperienced local detective, Bellefleur, the only authority on hand during the height of summer vacation.
Luckily, they are successful, and thus, Remy will soon be painting another pet, this time a Siamese, for an Englishwoman who has spent decades in Nice. However, while the cat survives without a problem, its owner might not be so lucky! The Saint Phalle Siamese will be the second title in the series. (The Cézanne Chihuahua will come out in French, German, Spanish, and Italian shortly.)
Meanwhile, I have another excuse to visit the French coast. I offer readers a cheap armchair excursion, but as always, I also hope to inspire them to take trips of their own or return to places they already love. There are terrific beaches all over the world, but for swimmers who appreciate boulevards populated by a friendly, eclectic population in a city easily connected to the airport by tram, Nice hits the spot.
Hope to see you all there!
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When in town, Ransdell writes from Tucson, Arizona, but her characters report from all over the world. In addition to other mysteries, she writes the Campanello Travels novels, set in Europe, Asia, and even the Midwest. www.dr-ransdell.com
